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Category: psychedelia
Dom Mariani: An Appreciation
Trying to get your head around Dom Mariani's long and wide-ranging musical career can be both a confusing and an exhilarating adventure. Every time you get a handle on one of the great bands he's been in, you find that there is another one to learn about. As you sort though all of this, two things become very clear: (1) Mariani has a deft touch and keen musical instincts, allowing him to approach each of his projects with command (2) You should never expect one Mariani band or project to sound like the one that came before it.
Mariani formed '60's garage revivalists the Stems in Perth, Australia in the early 80s. The band released a smattering of singles and an album, At First Sight Violets are Blue (1987), that stand up to the best of all the fuzz psych releases circulating the indie markets at that time (think Fleshtones/Telltale Hearts/ Lyres/Chesterfield Kings/Vipers, et al). Their sublime track "She's Fine" was included on Rhino's The Children of Nuggets, a box set of songs by '80's bands influenced by '60's psychedelia and garage. But just as the Stems were promoting their first long player, and as they were enjoying both critical acclaim and success on the Independent charts in Australia and other parts of the world, they broke up.
"I was always into '60's music, but originally maybe just the more well known bands, like the Beatles, Stones, and Kinks," Mariani told me over the phone recently, by way of describing his personal musical evolution leading up to the formation of the Stems. "But then I discovered the Nuggets double album, and the Electric Prunes Underground record, so I saw there was this other kind of thing from the '60's, which was more like garage rock, and I got totally into that."
Mariani cites pressure from the band's management and the label to relentlessly promote At First Sight, and the resultant exhaustion, as causes of the Stems' untimely implosion. Also, he soon had another project cooking. While in the Stems Mariani met Darryl Mather, then with Sydney's the Lime Spiders (another Children of Nuggets band) and later with the Orange Humble Band. The two discovered a mutual affinity for '60's and '70's radio pop and decided to get together and make music that would sound more like the Raspberries than the Stooges. The resulting LP, 1990's Don't Talk About Us, is now widely considered to be a power pop masterpiece.
"My musical background is very much steeped in Top 40 radio from the '60's, things like the Monkees and girl groups and all," Dom says when I ask him about the poppy departure the Someolves were from the Stems. "And even during the Stems, although we had kind of a hard rock sound, we were listening to things like the dBs and the Plimsouls, which were more pop."
Don't Talk About Us was recorded with Mitch Easter at his famed Drive-In studio in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (Easter has continued to mix, and sometimes play on, Mariani's recordings throughout Dom's career). A great meeting of musical minds, an album made at one of the coolest studios in the world at the time, two songwriters with no apparent lack of inspiration . . . the future held no barriers for The Someloves, right? Wrong. Their label, Mushroom, would only agree to a second album if the band committed to tour to promote the first, something Mather – a studio animal not interested in playing live – refused to do.
Someone with less fortitude or creative drive might have given up after seeing his first two bands split up just when they seemed to be going on the rise. But Mariani was only getting started. After an enforced recording hiatus which was part of the contractual baggage from The Someloves/Mushroom situation, he exploded back onto the scene in glorious fashion a few years later with his new band, DM3.
To this listener's ears, DM3 is where Mariani fully hit his stride, combining the adrenaline rush of the Stems with the pop craftsmanship of the Someloves. DM3s albums One Times Two Times Red Light (1993), Road to Rome (96) and Rippled Soul (98) are power pop gems (the first two are, anyway; Rippled Soul has some stellar songs but doesn't quite match up in overall quality level with the others) with a little garage energy to them, and are where Mariani pulled off tracks that stand comfortably alongside records made by the likes of Dwight Twilley, Big Star, Badfinger, et al.
"We were trying to make records with a rock & roll edge to them, but also with great melodies," is how Dom sees DM3, a project he clearly put a lot of himself into and feels passionate about.
Some of DM3s best songs weren't on the three main albums, but can be found on the odds-and-ends collections Garage Sale Vols 1 & 2 (as well as a Mariani retrospective covered below). One of these oddities, "Hold On," is something I have listened to at dangerous volume levels no less than eight times in a row on more than one occasion recently – an absolute dream of a power pop song. Another Garage Sale track, "Just Like Nancy," is both one of the finest moments in DM3s recorded history and their swan song. This single, with its splendidly catchy chorus, chugging guitar riff, and sly, vaguely naughty lyrics (a "girl in boots" with "the power to overthrow ya"), was the last record made by DM3.
Always looking to explore new terrain, after the demise of DM3 Mariani showed yet another side of his wide musical range. In 2003 he and his new act The Majestic Kelp released an album of instrumental tracks, Underwater Casino. The sound here is something like a meeting between Dick Dale, Ennio Morricone, and Martin Denny – a Spaghetti Western on the beach in Hawaii.
Dom: "What started out as just kind of a quick surf guitar record became something more than that. The songs started to take on some additional character, kind of a soundtrack feel. It's quite an interesting group and we're exploring a lot of different things you can do with instrumental music."
I ask Dom if he feels any difficulty in connecting to the audience when the Majestic Kelp perform live, without the benefit of vocal parts like catchy choruses people can latch onto:
"It has been a learning curve for me. It kind of divides the audience. Some of the people who have been listening to my bands over the years get into it, just like they would the Stems or DM3. But other people are kind of standing there saying, 'So when is he going to start singing?' Some have said, 'I think Dom's gone off the planet with this one.' But other people will just dig it for what it is. "
The Majestic Kelp released a second collection of instrumentals, Music to Chase Cars By, in 2006. Here they continued to explore some of the same musical themes approached on the first record, but also added some horns, one track filled with Byrdsian jangle, and a bit of a tougher guitar sound on the surf tracks.
In 2004 Mariani put out his first solo album, Homespun Blues and Greens. A much more personal collection of songs than any of his other projects offered, the 11 tracks here sound like they could be open letters to a close friend or lover, saying things that are difficult but necessary to communicate. The gentle psychedelia on some of the backing tracks cements the sense of contemplative emotion.
"I toyed around with the idea of making a solo album for quite some time, but initially was uncomfortable putting something out with just my name on it. For a while I thought of calling it a DM3 record, but that didn't seem right, because there really wasn't a band there to drive it. So I thought, instead of coming up with another band name to add to the list, I'll just put my name to it. And the songs are kind of reflective, anyway, so it makes sense for it be labeled as a solo record."
If all the great music wasn't reward enough in itself to Mariani for sticking with things through all the band breakups, he was honored with a career-affirming retrospective put out by Citadel Records in 2005. Popsided Guitar (Anthology 1984-2004), a 2-CD, 38-track collection compiles highlights of Dom's varied career, including songs by all of the aforementioned acts as well as a few from his solo album, and it also throws in one song each from one-offs Mariani did with bands The Stonefish and The Stoneage Hearts. There could have been a few more Stems tracks, but really there is little to complain about on the comp. The selections are well chosen and bring to magnificent life a career that has not received its due attention and appreciation.
One Mariani project not covered in the Popsided Guitar comp. is the reformed Stems. After having excellent compilations of their stuff put out by both Citadel (Mushroom Soup, 2003) and Get Hip (Terminal Cool, 2005), as well as seeing a 2-CD reissue of the At First Sight record (2003, Warners Australia), the band released a set of newly recorded material in 2007. Listening to Headsup, you'd think The Stems had never gone away. The 10 tracks further the band's legacy as psych garage masters, especially the riff-heavy "Liar" and the assured rocker "Hellbound Train." Listening to this record, you can easily see why Little Steven once invited the Stems to perform at his Underground Garage festival in New York.
So are the Stems fully reformed now, can we expect another release from them sometime sooner than the 20 years which separated their first two LPs?
"We are talking about doing another recording, although I'm not sure when that will be. We're thinking about doing something like the Flamin' Groovies Jumpin' in the Night record, where it'd be some favorite covers alongside some originals."
And what might some of those covers be?
"Well, we're talking about doing all Australian songs. 'Friday on My Mind' by the Easybeats is one we're thinking of. 'Come On,' by the Atlantics. We're also looking at some of the very early Bee Gees stuff, looking for something there that might be appropriate."
Dom is also at work on a third Majestic Kelp record, one with vocals, including some Beach Boys-style harmonies. He looks to finish the album by the end of this year and hopes for an early 2009 release. And while he is taking some down-time now after a recent Stems tour, he seems never too far away from the next gig, whether it be in Australia, Europe, or at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, where the Stems performed this year and where Mariani expects to be again next Spring, either with the Stems or on his own. Prolific and diverse as he is with his music, no one should be surprised if by that time he has a totally new band trying for a sound and feel different from all his other projects.
Author djbrianPosted on November 13, 2008 Categories garage rock, Nuggets, power pop, psychedelia, The Total Experience2 Comments on Dom Mariani: An Appreciation
Los Chijuas
Don't know much about this band yet, and almost don't want to, just to keep the mystery intact. Excellent, odd psychedelia from Mexico. Got hipped to them via their track, "Changing the Colors of Life," on the Nuggets II box set. Took me a few years after hearing that to follow up and dig deeper, and now that I have I am a better person for it. Their late 60s album El Esquimal is cool and weird and mind-bending. The title track is a rollicking, Spanish-language version of Dylan's "The Mighty Quinn." Another cover, and perhaps the most trippy moment on the record, is their take on The Zombies's "I Love You," read as, of course, "Te Quiero" – the opening to that track is grand psychedelia and when the melody kicks in it's all trips and hooks. Several originals surround these covers, including the Spanish version of "Changing the Colors" (English language version appears on Nuggets II) and others, some of which are throwaway but a few of them gems. I know I'll eventually go in and try to find out more about this great and strange band, but for now I'm going to keep rocking El Esquimal and just ride with the enigma and with the groove.
Author djbrianPosted on October 22, 2008 Categories psychedelia, The Total ExperienceLeave a comment on Los Chijuas
Psychedelic Sundae Ice Cream Headache
A friend sent me these. One of my good freinds. After hearing them,
you will know why.
Voyages Into – Rock Vol. 1
Voyages Into – Folk Rock Vol.1
Voyages Into – Folk Rock Vol. 2
Voyages Into – Pop Psych Vol. 1
Voyages Into – Garage Vol. 1
Voyages Into – Psychedelia Vol. 1
Lovingly compiled by musicologist and all-around 60's music guru Ben Chaput, these ten comps feature some of the best obscure sides late '60's music has to offer. For the past ten years or so, rare psychedelic rock, garage and freakbeat have occupied the hearts and minds of music collectors everywhere as well as helping to empty their wallets. Scores of labels have popped up in the last decade dedicated to nothing but digging up and re-issuing rare private press releases as well as long-forgotten records put out on major labels. Think about how popular and noteworthy the Nuggets boxsets are and the Pebbles compilations and some of the other boxsets seeking to give listeners the best music of the '60's. Then, think about this great series of sets featuring some of the best music of the '60's all geared towards the collector and music freak, with rare songs never used on any other compilation. Truly, with this set of well-put-together comps, fans of this kind of music have hit the motherlode.
Though the info on each of the ten comps in this set could fill a book, let's examine them briefly enough to whet your appetite but not too much as to keep you hungry enough to purchase this fantastic set.
Rock Vol. 1 features great lost bands like Primitive Man, Floating Bridge, The Bone, The Branch Estate, Elephant's Memory (the same band who later backed John Lennon and Yoko Ono), Plant Life, The Holy Mackeral (featuring Paul Williams of Evergreen and Rainbow Connection fame) and many, many more. Anyone into the brain-searing sounds of 60's rock is going to love this volume. The guitars sturm, the drums drang and the bass keeps the bottom end covered while the Mellotrons, farfisas and other instruments spice up the proceedings. Why aren't these artists famous today? It's a question I asked myself after listening and one which you will ask yourself as well. Better yet, grab some doobage and listen to this comp (and this whole set) with a couple of like-minded, music freak friends. They'll be jealous of you, for sure.
The second volume of the rock set follows up the great sounds of the first volume by featuring cuts from such obscure groups as Noah (produced by Randy Bachman of BTO and The Guess Who – he also contributes guitar), Think, Wrongh Black Bag (featuring Saturday Night Live's beehive queen Christine Ohlman), Adam Wind (produced by Booby Hart), Morning Rain (featuring guitarist Dean Parks) and many, many others. If you want to rock out, this is the CD of the set you want to listen to!! Again, very cool hard rocking sounds as good as most of the stuff done by artists who ended up as household names. These are not songs best left unheard. This is some of the best work done in the '60's, obscure only because the stars didn't align properly for these artists. A big part of success is luck, some have it and some don't. These artists unfortunately had very little – but their music is still top notch as this whole ten CD set will prove to you.
Anyone who loves the jingle-jangle of twelve string guitar and introspective lyrics will love the first volume of the folk-rock set, which features bands like The Unknowns (a Paul Revere and The Raiders side project), The Bows and Arrows, Messengers (the first white band to be signed to Motown), The Tweeds, The Sages, The Underground and many, many others. Talk about your twelve-string jangle! Seems every band was trying to take a page from either the Beatles or the Byrds on this CD, though more often than not the derivativeness is more than made up for by the sheer energy and passion of these artists. This is the best of the best here, uncomped and fresh as a daisy to your ears yet lovingly retro at the same time! So you wanna be a rock and roll star…..
Taking it's lead from the first comp of folk-rock, the second dives in with some even deeper cuts from the likes of The Jokers, Mystics, The Striders, The Moonrakers (who later evolved into the band Sugarloaf), The Ill Winds (actually the surf band The Chantays of "Pipeline" fame under a different name), The Good Time Singers (showcased on the Andy Williams show for three years and featuring soap actor Michael Storm), and many, many more. Let me tell you, if you love folk music spiced up with a little jingle-jangle, this second volume is for you. Byrds-ian moments abound and it is just cool to hear this great stuff for the first time. Again, the questions must be asked: why didn't any of these songs or groups hit the big time?
The late 60's were teaming with bands who wanted to meld the melodic with the psychedelic to create mind-blowing rock which would break new ground. Though we all know the classic bands who made the most impact, the first volume of the Pop-Psych set gives seekers of the obscure some really tasty offerings from Stained Glass, Central Park, Poe, Five by Five (featuring Muscle Shoals vet Eddie Hinton), Underground Sunshine and many, many others. Some of these selections are a little more pop than psyche but you can tell something is in the water as all of these songs are showing trippy influences. This is great stuff and my personal favortie volume of the whole set. Do you see the trails? I do, I do!
For true believers, the second volume of the Pop-Psych set gives lovers of mind-bending melodic rock even more acid-tinged songs. Featuring artists such as Knack (not the group who did "My Sharona"), Six O'Clock News, Proposition, Jennifer's Friends (produced by Vanda and Young of the Easybeats and, later, the people who produced rock band AC/DC's first few albums), English Setters, Truth, and a heaping helping of other bands all trying to push the boundries of how pop music should sound by injecting some psych into the brew. I am amazed at how great this music sounds. It's no wonder there are so many great psych masterpieces being unearthed all the time. There's a wealth of stuff here and hopefully the volumes will keep coming.
Thanks to The Beatles' and the other British Invasion bands' simplistic yet supremely catchy songs at the beginning of their careers, millions of teenagers decided to pick up guitars and drumsticks and passionately bash out their own catchy brands of rock and roll in their garages. Hence, the term garage rock! So many great artists started this way and so many great songs were brought to life, it is just a great visceral thrill to hear the songs on Garage Vol. 1 for the first time and pretend I am listening to a great radio station in the mid '60's and hearing this guitar revolution as it originated. Garage rock gave birth to punk and now is all the rage again in the '00's! Long live rock. Great bands featured on Volume 1 of the Garage set are the Uniques (featuring Joe Stampley who later became a chart-topping country singer), The Reactors, The Eastside Kids, Shannon Cannon (produced by New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint), The Five Sounds, The Contrasts and many, many others. Listening to this set makes me want to strap on a guitar, call some buddies and start a band of my own. Great stuff.
As good as Volume 1 of the Garage set is, the second volume of the Garage set is even better! Filled to the brim with more great obscure songs by some of the best unknoiwn bands ever, the second volume takes the visceral thrills of full-throttle garage rock to new heights. Anyone into balls-out rock and roll needs to get this pronto. Groups featured on this volume include The Distant Cousins (produced by Bob Crewe), The Hombres, The Wild Ones (featuring the original version of the classic hit "Wild Thing"), The Spotlights (featuring Leon Russell), The Street Corner Society and many more! If listening to the unfettered power unleashed by this primal rock and roll doesn't give you a thrill, you simply have no soul. This is killer stuff!
By the late '60's most young adults had begun experimenting with drugs, be it pot, pills or an hallucinagen of some sort. The effects of the drugs opened minds and many musicians who experimented with these ingestibles started to create a form of rock seeking to mimic in sound what they felt in their minds while they were tripping. The results were called psychedelic rock and the music became a fad once the Beatles recorded Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, the first major release featuring this sort of trippy version of '60's rock. Part and parcel of the '60's musical experience, psychedelic rock cannot be left out of any musical set seeking to encapsulate the music of this time period. With that in mind, Volume 1 of the two volume psychedelia set features some trippy rock from the likes of Boston Tea Party, The Raves, The Believers (a group connected to singer Joe South, who produced and wrote the song featured here), Glass Family (record label honcho Mike Curb and Davie Allen of the Arrows were connected to this band), The Folkswingers (featuring Glen Campbell on guitar) and many, many others that will leave you tripping for days and wishing it was the '60's all over again.
The second half of the two volume set is just as trippy and wild as the first. It features bands such as American Express, Martin Martin, Mass (featuring Billy Joel on piano), The Mission as well as a passel of other artists trying to take rock and roll into the stratosphere. Many songs are on this CD but there isn't a bad trip in the bunch and at least every other song had me scratching my head and wondering why these songs and these artists didn't reach more of an audience. Pass the windowpane!
Fans of '60's music are just going to go apeshit over this set. Not only are most of the songs included on these volumes incredibly obscure yet still fantastic, but most of these songs have never been comped before, so they are totally fresh and not the same songs appearing on the Pebbles and Nuggets '60's sets. A definite bonus are the liner notes. Brief yet informative, the notes manage to squeeze in just enough info on the bands to get you hooked and often include an anecdote about which bandmember eventually went off to work with this famous musician or what other groundbreaking band they joined. Very fun to read and informative as hell for being so brief. Also great are the annotations for which label it was recorded and the serial numbers on the original records. Great info for the collectors and music geeks such as myself. The vintage radio commercials spliced in between the songs are VERY cool. Featuring major bands and artists from the period and in line with the particular volume they are featured, these "commercial breaks" help make each of these CDs seem as if they are being beamed in by the coolest radio station ever. If you can only buy one "boxset" this year – this is the one to get.
You can get these comps exclusively at: http://members.aol.com/voyagescd/voyages.html
Author Scott HomewoodPosted on April 21, 2008 Categories Guess Who, Music Nerd, Nuggets, Pebbles, psychedelia, psychedelic3 Comments on Psychedelic Sundae Ice Cream Headache
Paula Frazer & Tarnation – Now It's Time CD (Birdman)
Paula Frazer's voice has this warm, effortless quality that makes me think of old fashioned things like melted sugar candy being pulled in a hand-cranked roller. Adopting the loosely defined Tarnation name after nearly a decade, with longtime collaborators Patrick Main and Jasmyn Wong plus various Moore Bros and Orangers in tow, Frazer evokes a throatier Sandy Denny as she trips and skitters about a suite of moody country-psych tunes loosely inspired by one heartbroken summer. Frazer's songs tend to grow on you, and if these come off a bit abstract and under-narrated on early listens, past experience suggests the facets will click into place with time, and be worth the effort.
Author kimPosted on March 14, 2007 Categories Kim Cooper/ LITG, moore brothers, oranger, psychedelia, San Francisco, sandy dennyLeave a comment on Paula Frazer & Tarnation – Now It's Time CD (Birdman)
Anton Barbeau – In The Village of the Apple Sun CD (Four-Way)
I'm predisposed to laud Anton Barbeau for his yeoman's work luring Scott Miller back to the recording studio (see last year's swell Loud Family CD, of which we still have a few free copies for Scram subscribers), but his lush, Bowiesque art-pop stands on its own freaky merits. Kicking off with the glam starburst of "This Is Why They Call Me Guru 7," the disc seduces with effortlessly catchy tunes, hyperactive arrangements and a neatly meshed tapestry of electronic and real instruments. The ideas fly furiously, tape runs backwards, cohorts shriek deep in the mix.. and yes, you could say much the same about a Scott Miller record. It's no coincidence these two have formed a collaboration, and fans of the Loud Family and Game Theory will certainly want to explore Barbeau's deep catalog of smart, weird pop, with this a timely starting point.
Author kimPosted on February 13, 2007 Categories glam, Kim Cooper/ LITG, loud family, pop, psychedelia, sacramento dishonor tripLeave a comment on Anton Barbeau – In The Village of the Apple Sun CD (Four-Way)
Yellow Balloon
I have read the lengthy booklet that comes with Sundazed's reissue of The Yellow Balloon's self-titled album two times now, and I'm still not really sure I understand the band's story. But here's what I think it is:
Gary Zekley, – a songwriter, producer and sometimes band member on the West Coast pop circuit of the 1960s – wrote a song, called "The Yellow Balloon," and handed it off to Jan and Dean. Knowing the song was going to be a hit, Zekley threw together a band and recorded a version of his own, hoping to beat Jan and Dean to the studio finish line. One member of the band Zekley assembled was Don Grady, who played Robbie Douglas on the hit TV show "My Three Sons," and who had already been moonlighting as a rock 'n' rooler, most recently in a folk-rock band called The Palace Guard. Zekley's motley band wound up naming itself after the song they were assembled to record, scored a minor hit with their version of "Balloon," and went on to make a full-length album.
I may or may not have all of that right, and I may have missed some important points of the band's brief story. But here's the real gist of what I want to say in this space: the album, The Yellow Balloon, is a minor treasure of sun-soaked California psychedelic pop. Part Byrds, part Beach Boys, part Turtles, part Left Banke . . . but the 60s band the Balloon most sounds like is the good-timey Lovin' Spoonful. The songs are happy and bouncy, they boast excellent melodies and just enough acid flavor to let you know what era they were recorded in. That studio pros like Jim Gordon and Carole Kaye played many of the instruments on the record is something we'll overlook for the moment – the band The Yellow Balloon (with Grady wearing a wig and shades so as not to be recognized) did tour to support the record, and played some of the instruments on the album, and their lead singer, Alex Valdez, sang most of the songs (Grady sings others).
The bonus tracks Sundazed added to the set include some songs Grady recorded as a solo artist and as leader of an outfit called The Windupwatchband. There is also an interview with Zekley, who died in the late 90s. Some of Grady's solo stuff is as good as, maybe better than, the material on the main album.
The Yellow Balloon were not a great band. But they managed to make one record which nicely captures the time and place of California in the mid-to-late 1960s. The Gary Zekley mystique and the Don "Robbie Douglas" connection only add to their allure.
Author djbrianPosted on February 9, 2007 Categories 60s Pop, psychedelia, The Total Experience1 Comment on Yellow Balloon
Bobbie Gentry – The Delta Sweete/ Local Gentry CD (Raven)
In compiling Bobbie Gentry's two hard-to-find 1968 LPs, the Australian Raven label has done a service to the American south and its slim yet significant feminist swamp rock scene. Fresh from the breakout success of the strange, symbolic "Ode to Billy Joe," Miz Gentry crafted in "The Delta Sweete" a fascinating song cycle about the discordant strands that tied the new south to the old. Although recorded in Hollywood, the mood is pure Delta, with colloquial spoken asides, steamy arrangements and big mama Bobbie's tough, soulful and sometimes sleepy voice central to the proceedings. But while the disc starts off in a rich and funky groove, it soon veers into a distinctly personal brand of psychedelic pop that's among the most original and lovely sounds crafted in that fertile year. Several of the originals rely on dream and sleep imagery to conjure an otherworldly, haunting air that's just unforgettable. As good as "The Delta Sweete" was, it flopped, and the consummate pro rushed back into the studio in London to remake herself anew. The more modest "Local Gentry" unfortunately drops the sexy blues standards for maudlin Beatles covers, a minor misstep along the path to duet success with Glen Campbell. But there are still some great moments, with the gently sociopathic "Recollection" and the dark humored "Casket Vignette" especially effective, so fans won't mind having it slotted onto the single CD. Also included are covers of "Stormy" and an interesting take on Donovan's "Skip Along Sam" that riffs off the "Casket Vignette" arrangement.
Author kimPosted on February 6, 2007 Categories blues, bobbie gentry, feminism, psychedeliaLeave a comment on Bobbie Gentry – The Delta Sweete/ Local Gentry CD (Raven)
Peppermint Rainbow
I have heard lots of complaints about the Collectors Choice label, about the sound quality of their CDs, and the cheapness of the packaging. But I love this label, because they reissue all kinds of obscure music, from various decades and genres, that nobody else would. My latest Collectors Choice find is the album Will You Be Staying After Sunday, by the late 60s Baltimore soft rock band Peppermint Rainbow. This is Spanky and Our Gang meets The Lemon Pipers, and is 30 minutes of pure pyschedelic bubblegum bliss. The title track, which seems to be referencing Spanky's "Sunday Will Never Be the Same," is rich with soaring harmonies and vocal hooks. "Pink Lemonade" picks right up from there, with its candy-coated acid vibe. And although those are the best two songs on the 11-track album, it is all pleasant and there is nothing on the record that you mind hearing again. I love the photo of the band on the back cover of the CD almost as much as the music inside. All five members (three guys/two sisters, one of the sisters married to one of the guys) look out of place in the gaudy hippy clothing they're wearing, the men with sky blue ascots and the women in matching-colored dresses and white go-go boots; they look like a pack of hillbillies who got invited to a party at a drug house and went to the hippy boutique and asked what they should wear. But when they play and sing there's no confusion at all. They are masters of melodic soft rock and this album goes on my all-time list of greats in that style, alongside records by people like The Sandpipers, Lemon Pipers, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Merry-Go-Round, Cowsills, etc.
Author djbrianPosted on December 28, 2006 Categories 60s Pop, bubblegum, psychedelia, soft rock, The Total ExperienceLeave a comment on Peppermint Rainbow
Ruthann Friedman – Hurried Life: Lost Recordings 1965-1971 CD (Water)
Though best known for writing the Association's infectious smash "Windy," on these home demos Friedman is revealed not as a pop songwriter, but as a jazzy, abstract seeker of answers, love and vision. With her sad, husky voice and often convoluted imagery of nature and the human zoo, these rediscovered tracks evoke a tough yet sensitive hippie lady struggling to define herself, survive and occasionally triumph. The original demo of "Windy" swings nicely, "To Treat A Friend" haunts and "Southern Comfortable" is an intriguing period piece exploring American racism on the coasts and elsewhere. Don't tune out before the closing tune, the fully orchestrated Tandyn Almer composition "Little Girl Lost & Found," a psychedelic swirl of children's book characters gone marvelously mad. The glossy booklet includes Friedman's memories of each song and some evocative vintage snapshots.
Author kimPosted on December 21, 2006 Categories feminism, folk, hippie, Kim Cooper/ LITG, psychedelia, ruthann friedman, The Association, venice, windyLeave a comment on Ruthann Friedman – Hurried Life: Lost Recordings 1965-1971 CD (Water)
Meadow House – Tongue Under A Ton of Nine Volters CD (Alcohol)
Meadow House is young British broadcaster and one-man-band Dan Wilson, the host and fried brains behind "The Exciting Hellebore Shew" on Resonance FM. On his debut album the psych of a sweet nutter is channeled and detourned over the course of eighteen energetic and quite batty tracks. To American ears, this sort of oddball British psych inevitably evokes Syd Barrett and Robyn Hitchcock, but there's always room on my shelves for such an inventive, confident and naturally melodic composer. At times the sound is playful and childlike, at others so chaotic, anxious and boozy to be terrorizing, but if you're going to spend time with seemingly schizophrenic popsters you gotta take the sweet with the ouch. I especially dig the iconoclastic holiday hymn stylings of "All Petty Substance Flee." Several dopey disco tracks are less interesting. For purchasing info, see the bottom of this blog post.
Author kimPosted on November 27, 2006 Categories dan wilson, diy, Kim Cooper/ LITG, one man bands, psychedelia, resonance fm, the exciting hellebore shew1 Comment on Meadow House – Tongue Under A Ton of Nine Volters CD (Alcohol)


The world-renowned U'mista Cultural Centre to close for November.
ALERT BAY—The world-renowned U'mista Cultural Centre, the repository for an irreplaceable Kwakwaka'wakw potlatch artifact collection, will close for the month of November. The closure is to repair damage from a fire set under the building July 23.
During the closure, crews will install a new floor, rebuild the main gallery and perform fire restoration work on the potlatch collection of masks.


Wildfox Couture Fox Tooth Malibu Sweats are makin' the classics more comfy. These skinny fit BBs are made outta a soft plush fabric with a snuggly interior. Featurin' banded ankles for a gathered or relaxed look, and a drawstring waistband, these bottoms are great for any size doll. With its all over houndstooth print, we know that yer the foxxxiest thing to rock it with the hounds.


text:
Investing February 27, 2001
FTSE Introduces New Social Index Family
February 27, 2001 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - FTSE is hoping to do a little good with its launch of FTSE4Good, a new family of indices designed to provide a benchmark for socially responsible investments.
Nevin E. Adams
Funds generated by the FTSE4Good index family will be donated by FTSE to UNICEF, the United Nation's Children's Fund, estimated to be around $1 million during the first 12 months.
The FTSE4Good series is currently comprised of a tradable and a benchmark index for each of the following four regions:
The FTSE4Good series is being developed in association with UK-based research firm Ethical Investment Research Service (EIRIS.) In the US, EIRIS is teaming up with The Council on Economic Priorities (CEP) and Investor Responsibility Research Center (IRRC) to provide data on U.S. companies.
FTSE and the expert committee will also seek views on the draft selection criteria prior to the final criteria and constituent lists being published.
The FTSE4Good indices are expected to go live in June 2001. The first will track the FTSE4Good UK Index.
« Online 401(k) Access Increases Day Trading Trend

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


MovaviMediaPlayerSetup.exe is a binary executable program for Windows. The download size as indicated by the server is 31.45MB (32978096 bytes). The host server on www.movavi.com has returned application/octet-stream as the content type of the download which was updated on 07/29/2015 and was last checked by Webeaver.com crawlers on 06/09/2018. You may use one or more of the following keywords [movavimediaplayersetup exe movavi media player setup] to search for other files related to the one you are about to download.
Webeaver.com does not host any files on its servers and MovaviMediaPlayerSetup.exe remains the property of its respective owner. We have no controle over the nature, content and the availability of the file listed here for free download and hosted on www.movavi.com.


Born in the Banat region of Hungary on June 6, 1882. Kleitsch began painting at age seven and was awarded a scholarship by his village to study art. He continued his training in Budapest, Munich, and Paris. By age 17 he was an accomplished portraitist with such sitters as Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1901 and established a studio in Cincinnati; during 1906-07 he was a resident of Denver. He then traveled to Mexico City where he was the official portraitist to President Madero. Kleitsch painted portraits of many prominent citizens of Chicago while further studying at the AIC. Upon moving to California in 1920, he settled in Laguna Beach and, with his wife Edna,established the Kleitsch Academy. He taught there and was active in the local art scene while exhibiting in Los Angeles at Stendahl and Hatfield galleries. Trips were made to San Francisco, Carmel, and Europe in search of subject matter.Inspired by the local scenery, he could often be seen in and around Laguna painting street scenes with figures, gardens in bloom, coastals, and landscapes. Kleitsch died of a heart attack in Santa Ana, CA on Nov. 16, 1931. Exh: AIC, 1914(gold medal); Palette & Chisel Club, 1914-19; Stendahl Gallery (LA), 1922-29; Painters & Sculptors of LA, 1922-23;Leonard's (LA), 1923; Ambassador Hotel (LA), 1924; Biltmore Salon (LA), 1924; Ebell Club (LA), 1924; PAFA, 1925;Pasadena Public Library, 1928; Laguna Beach AA, 1928-30; LACMA, 1933 (memorial). In: Orange Co. (CA) Museum;Laguna Beach Museum; Irvine (CA) Museum; Federal Bank Bldg. (Laguna).


I really wish someone used your style for a video game. That Pifall image you did was fantastic and this would be such a rad boss to battle. Keep up the good work, my Brazilian brother!
I love the colors you used, they really pop out against the dark bg!
Hee hee...That's a trip and a half.
my favourite head is the top center. Its like him saying "hm..... why am I a dragon?" cute!!!!
Hey Leo, thanks for the call the other day! I really like how his arms get smaller and smaller as they go down his body. Amazing work, as always.
great blog, you have alot of enery in your Line work, and your colors are pleasing to look at. cool stuff.


Kale is one of our favorite super healthy, super friendly and super easy to use superfoods! Here's an easy way to whip up a nutritious salad utilizing this nutrient-dense leafy green and an abundance of fresh produce. We chose kale for the base of this salad but feel free to substitute spinach. We packed grains, leafy greens, root vegetables, and citrus into this salad so it works perfectly for a hearty lunch, dinner, or as a side dish. P.S. Perfect for a mason jar lunch on the go, add dressing when you are ready to eat.
Remove the stems of the kale by holding the end of the stem and pulling the leaves in the opposite direction or by taking a knife and slicing down the middle to remove the thicker part of the stem. Next, wash the kale thoroughly and dry.
Roughly chop kale and place in a medium to large skillet with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste over medium-low heat. Sauté until lightly wilted but still tender, about 4 minutes, making sure to stir. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Now peel the beet and cut into quarter moons. Lay on baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 12 minutes, or until tender.
Remove carrot tops and wash carrots thoroughly. Peel the outer layer and then start to create ribbon-like strips with a peeler.
Cut onion into thinly sliced half moons and sauté in a small pan with a little olive oil and cook until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
Remove pith from oranges by slicing the top and bottom off of the orange. Using even downward strokes, slice the peel away from the flesh and discard the peel. Remove any excess white pith. Cut between the membranes to remove the orange segments over a bowl to save the juice for the dressing. Once all segments are removed, squeeze remaining juice out of orange into the bowl.
Whisk together orange juice, olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, and salt and pepper to taste to create the vinaigrette.
Grab a large bowl or serving platter and toss together kale, quinoa, onion, and carrots ribbons. Slowly drizzle in vinaigrette and toss until well coated, but you do not want to drench the salad so you may not use all of the dressing. Gently fold in the beets and orange segments. Serve and enjoy!


We test and interview real kids, families, young adults, and professionals in social-emotional learning and autism communities across the US. At Social Cipher, we're always aiming to create gameplay that truly represents and meets the needs of our players. One of our favorite parts of being on the Social Cipher team is holding discussions, game workshops, and speaking engagements with local gaming and education organizations. We're always looking to work with people that are as passionate about gaming, neurodiversity, and education as we are.
If you're interested in testing or collaborating with us, drop us a message right here !


Wheatgrass can be grown at your home or bought from stores. Wheat grass has numerous benefits from prevention of cancer to treating grey hair. Although the usage of wheatgrass for human consumption dates back to the Egyptian civilization, its widespread usage is of recent advent, somewhere within the last decade or so.
With social media and health awareness on the rise, new and successful health keeping ideas are being exchanged across the world. Just like how the benefits of yoga has spread to other parts of the world from India, some consumables such as wheatgrass, quinoa and oats which originated from other parts of the world has gained fame in India.
Some sellers and resellers of health based food stuff blow small benefits of the product they sell out of promotions for marketing purposes. Hence it is always best to know the facts about the consumable products that are likely to provide various health benefits in its entirety. This article is related to such pointers about wheatgrass.
Fact ? Wheatgrass is a plant that grows from cereals (wheat grain). Just like other plants wheatgrass also uses chlorophyll for its growth. As chlorophyll is linked to oxygen in the growth process, it is rich in anti oxidants. Anti oxidants are known to have anti carcinogenic properties and hence may aid in the prevention of cancer. Also research and tests performed on animals show that consumption of wheatgrass has the ability to alter DNA and provide some protection against damages caused by radiation. However, the fact remains that evidences on the success rate of the above mentioned details are lacking.
Fact ? Dietary fiber is available in plenty in wheatgrass. Fiber included in your daily food can make you feel full for longer periods as compared to other food stuff. The plus is it also known to provide smooth and regular bowel movements, aiding in digestion. However, wheatgrass consumption alone cannot work like a weight loss pill.
Fact ? Its is a known fact that bones in the human body can get damaged in an acidic environment inside the body created by meat, dairy, tamarind (tartaric acid) etc. The more you include fresh fruits and veggies in your diet the more healthily would your bones remain. This hold good for wheatgrass as well, which is part of the plant family. Hence if someone says wheatgrass can help strengthen your bone, don?t hesitate to believe them for its true but tell them that other veggies and fruits do the same.
Fact ? As stated already, wheatgrass is rich in antioxidants which have several beneficial properties. Although the essence/juice of wheatgrass on your skin can overcome dryness and slows down aging, there isn?t any evidence to prove that it provides a glowing complexion.
Wheatgrass is loaded with benefits when consumed in moderation. It is one of the easily available antioxidant which is also rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals. Include them in your daily diet much like fresh fruits and veggies.


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Maria Zelia Martin, właśc. Marie-Azélie Martin, z domu Guérin (ur. 23 grudnia 1831 w Saint-Denis-sur-Sarthon, zm. 28 sierpnia 1877 w Alençon) – Francuzka, matka świętej Teresy z Lisieux oraz żona świętego Ludwika Martina, święta Kościoła katolickiego.

Życiorys

Dzieciństwo
Marie-Azélie Guérin urodziła się w Saint-Denis-sur-Sarthon we Francji jako drugie dziecko Izydora Guérin i Louise-Jeanne Mace. Miała starszą siostrę Marie-Louise, która została zakonnicą i młodszego brata, Izydora, z zawodu farmaceutę.

Zelia chciała wstąpić do zakonu Sióstr Miłosierdzia św. Wincentego à Paulo, ale nie została do niego przyjęta ze względu na problemy z oddychaniem i nawracające bóle głowy. Została koronkarką. W 1858 poznała przyszłego męża, zegarmistrza, Ludwika Martin.

Małżeństwo i rodzina
Zelia i Ludwik po roku białego małżeństwa zdecydowali się na wydanie potomstwa. Martinowie mieli dwóch synów i siedem córek, z których pięć córek przeżyło okres dzieciństwa. Ostatecznie wszystkie zostały zakonnicami:
 Maria (ur. 22 lutego 1860, zm. 19 stycznia 1940), karmelitanka w Lisieux, imię zakonne Maria od Najświętszego Serca.
 Pauline (ur. 7 września 1861, zm. 28 lipca 1951), karmelitanka w Lisieux, znana jako Matka Agnieszka od Jezusa.
 Leonie (ur. 3 czerwca 1863; 16 czerwca 1941), wizytka w Caen, siostra Franciszka Teresa.
 Céline (ur. 28 kwietnia 1869, zm. 25 lutego 1959), karmelitanka w Lisieux, siostra Geneviève od Najświętszego Oblicza.
 Thérèse (ur. 2 stycznia 1873, 30 września 1897), karmelitanka w Lisieux, siostra Teresa od Dzieciątka Jezus i Najświętszego Oblicza, kanonizowana w 1925.

Śmierć
Zelia Martin zmarła na raka piersi 28 sierpnia 1877 w Alençon.

Beatyfikacja i kanonizacja
26 marca 1994 papież Jan Paweł II uznał heroiczność cnót sług bożych Zelii i Ludwika Martinów. 19 października 2008 w bazylice św. Teresy w Lisieux, ich wspólnej beatyfikacji dokonał legat papieski, kardynał Jose Saraiva Martins.

18 marca 2015 papież Franciszek wydał dekret w sprawie cudu za wstawiennictwem bł. Marii Zelii Martin i jej męża Ludwika Martina. Cudem tym, jak poinformowała Stolica Apostolska, jest zatwierdzone przez lekarzy i teologów z Kongregacji Spraw Kanonizacyjnych i niewytłumaczalne z punktu widzenia medycznego, uzdrowienia dziecka z Hiszpanii. 27 czerwca 2015 w Watykanie odbył się konsystorz nadzwyczajny na którym papież Franciszek wyznaczył dzień w którym Maria Zelia Martin i jej mąż oraz dwoje innych błogosławionych zostaną ogłoszonymi świętymi Kościoła katolickiego. 18 października 2015, podczas trwającego synodu biskupów na temat rodziny, papież Franciszek dokonał kanonizacji bł. Marii Zelii Martin i jej męża Ludwika oraz bł. Wincentego Grossiego i bł. Marii od Niepokalanego Poczęcia.

Jej wspomnienie liturgiczne obchodzone jest 12 lipca.

Zobacz też

 Święci i błogosławieni Kościoła katolickiego
 Modlitwa za pośrednictwem świętego
 Ludwik Martin

Przypisy

Bibliografia

Maria Zelia Martin
Ludzie związani z Alençon
Urodzeni w 1831
Zmarli w 1877
Maria Zelia Martin
Kanonizowani przez Franciszka

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Houston Food Bank distributes fresh produce, meat, and nonperishables to children, individuals, and the elderly in 18 counties.
Leading the fight against hunger since 1982, HFB continues to feed the hungry by distributing nutritious meals into an 18-county service area through over 600 hunger-relief agencies in Houston and southeast Texas. Houston Food Bank (HFB) is the largest food bank in the United States in meals distributed to partner agencies and is also an active member of Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief charity in the nation. Partner agencies include: food pantries, shelters for the homeless, safe havens for battered women, and nutrition centers for children and the elderly. HFB provided 83,000,000 nutritious meals to 800,000 individuals last year throughout the 18-county service area. In addition, the Food Bank provides food assistance and nutrition education programs to the local community. These programs, including Backpack Buddy, empower participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to make healthy food choices and enable the HFB to achieve its fundamental objective—acknowledging and addressing hunger as both a cause and a symptom of poverty. Thanks to strong community partnerships, HFB is able to stretch every $1.00 donation to provide an individual with a full day's worth of meals.
Have experience with Houston Food Bank ?
Write and manage foundation and corporate funding opportunities for a variety of HFB programs.


text:
Amanda Marie Dennis (born May 25, 1998) is an American former professional soccer player who last played as a goalkeeper for Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

Early life
Dennis was born in San Diego.

College career
Dennis played for Penn State Nittany Lions women's soccer team.

Club career
Dennis signed for Houston Dash in January 2020. She retired from professional soccer in November 2021.

International career
Dennis is a former United States youth international.

Honors
Houston Dash
 NWSL Challenge Cup: 2020

References

External links

 Penn State profile

1998 births
Living people
Soccer players from San Diego
American women's soccer players
Women's association football goalkeepers
Penn State Nittany Lions women's soccer players
Houston Dash players
National Women's Soccer League players


Long before the days of the Mark Teixeira, the Yankees used a number of stopgap first baseman during the end of the Jason Giambi era. There was Doug Mientkiewicz, Josh Phelps, Andy Phillips, and even Morgan Ensberg. Ensberg had some huge years in Houston (.391 wOBA in 2003, .395 wOBA and a fourth place finish in the MVP voting in 2005), but he signed with the Yanks three years ago today after an ugly 2007 season (.318 wOBA) with the 'Stros and Padres. He was supposed to be a righty hitting option of the bench that could fill-in at the infield corners, but that never materialized. Ensberg had just a .228 wOBA in 80 plate appearances for New York before being designated for assignment on June 1st. He finished out the year in Cleveland's minor league system, and was out of baseball for good by Spring Training of the following season. Ensberg is now on Twitter and runs a fantastic blog, but like many before him and what will surely be many after him, his Yankees career was completely forgettable.
Anywho, here is the night's open thread. The Nets are the only local team in action tonight, so you're on your own when it comes to entertainment. You all know what to do, so go bananas.
A note from Chad Jennings: Jason Lane has an out in his contract that he can exercise on May 31. So the Yankees have a decision to make. Do you give Lane, who sports a .827 OPS at Scranton, a shot? Or do you let him walk? For what it's worth, Jennings also notes that Lane was doing footwork at first base this week.
I'm personally of the mind that while the Ensberg experiment was a worthy one, it's got to come to an end. Might as well plug in Lane and see what you've got there. Lane would take Ensberg's 40- and 25-man roster spot, so there's really no harm in this one. One experiment ends, another begins.
Wilson Betemit should be back soon, too. We could actually see the designation of Ensberg upon his return, with Lane taking the spot of Alberto Gonzalez. I actually like this a bit better. But in any case, there's little chance Ensberg remains with the team past this week.
Via PeteAbe, the Yanks have added Morgan Ensberg to the 40-man roster and will pay him $1.75M to come off the bench and start against tough lefties this year. Carl Pavano lands on the 60-day DL to make room for Ensberg, who is out options and will NOT wear number 21. This basically means that the bench is set, with Ensberg joining Wilson Betemit, Jose Molina and whoever sits between the Shelley-Matsui-Giambi-Damon group on a given day. I suppose that Shelley could be shipped to Triple-A with a Cody Ransom-type taking his spot on the bench, but I think it's unlikely. I like the move; Ensberg is a class act and one helluva complimentary player.
The Organizational Depth Chart has been updated accordingly.
Here's something we wanted to see happen last year, but apparently was blocked by Joe Torre. The Yanks have signed Morgan Ensberg. No word on the nature of the deal — that is, whether it's a major or minor league deal. My guess is that it's a minor league one (saving the Yanks a roster spot), with an opt-out if he doesn't make the big league roster.
I would suppose that he's being brought in as competition for Shelley at first base. He's only played three games in his career off of third base — one at DH, one at first base, and one at shortstop. I'm not quite sure if he'd be a viable bench option. We'll see as Spring Training progresses, though.
Update: It's a minor league deal. Just thought of something else, too. Ensberg could be Giambi insurance. If he goes down in ST, Ensberg would have a seat on the bench. Not a bad fallback plan.


We are now three quarters of the way through 2017 and it is interesting to review the performance of different asset classes in the year to date. The total return of the equity indices we track are all in positive territory for Sterling based investors, with the FTSE World index up 7.98%. Breaking down regional performance, the FTSE World Europe ex UK index has led the way, gaining 17.07%. The comparatively high octane FTSE World Asia Pacific ex Japan and FTSE Emerging indices follow with gains of 12.46% and 14.08% respectively. The final grouping concerns the UK, Japan and USA, all of which have produced positive, but single digit, returns. The FTSE 100 has a total return of 6.59%, the FTSE Japan 6.02% and the S&P 500 4.74%.
Gilt yields have increased, and in consequence, prices have fallen in the year to date. The total return of the FTSE Actuaries UK Conventional Gilts All Stocks index has been flat in the year to date and has lost 3.56% in the last year. The 10-year benchmark yield increased from 1.1% to 1.3% in September and Moodys downgraded UK government debt based on Brexit concerns. The index lost 2.58% over the month.
Downward trends commenced in 2011 for gold and in 2014 for oil. This torrid period can be clearly seen in the 5-year cumulative total return data with the S&P GSCI Gold Spot index losing 15.4% and the S&P GSCI Brent Crude Spot index down 54.8%. 2017 has seen the typical month to month undulations in their prices because commodities are a volatile asset class. In the year to date the S&P GSCI Brent Crude Spot index has lost 11.25%, whilst the S&P GSCI Gold Spot index has gained 1.96%.


text:
'Don't mention the Arctic': Shell embarrassed by video competition row
THE GUARDIAN, May 17, 2015
Shell has been caught in an embarrassing spat over its plan for a $50,000 (£31,727) video competition aimed at 18-34-year-olds to promote its view that the world still needs fossil fuels despite climate change.
The film project is being developed in partnership with US-based online ad agency Zooppa, and, according to a leaked email, was to be pitched at platforms such as Vice, the online news service. An email between Zooppa staff discussing the Shell brief makes it clear "you should NOT mention on your storyboard Arctic Oil".
Environmentalists say Shell's involvement in exploiting reserves in the Arctic undermines its attempt to portray itself as a responsible oil and gas company keen to tackle global warming.
While references to the Arctic are ruled out, the memo says "you can mention instead oil, gas, wind, nuclear energy".
Greenpeace – which received the leaked email – believes the competition is being run in a bid to influence younger people in the runup to critical climate change talks convened by the United Nations in Paris in December. The email appears to be written by one Zooppa staffer to another giving advice about how to approach the project after "I met on Monday with the Shell team". While the Anglo-Dutch group has insisted it needs to drill off Alaska this summer as part of an effort to see whether it can find oil and replenish the world's reserves, the email suggests Shell realises its operations in the Chukchi Sea could lose it support.
A Shell spokesman said: "We said in our brief that we wanted to get these films noticed by Vice, but we didn't expect it to happen this way. At no point was any direction given by Shell to our agency to advise entrants against mentioning the Arctic in their films. We've taken the agency outside and given it a stern talking to, and it is now absolutely clear on this.
"Anyway, there's no censorship, no boundaries other than the pretty basic ones set out in the brief, just a strong desire to get people thinking creatively about how to challenge preconceptions that fossil fuels, especially natural gas, have no part in our future energy lives, and how to communicate the reality of the future energy system. That system will include renewables, nuclear power and oil and gas, including from the Arctic, which is already a major source of energy."
Zooppa declined to comment.


All orders are shipped via FedEx Monday through Friday. Home delivery is Tuesday through Saturday. International orders will ship via USPS. You will be able to review and choose your shipping option in the checkout process.
Orders shipped via standard ground will ship within five to seven business days and are usually received within seven to twelve business days.
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Overnight shipping requests received by 3 p.m. central time will ship the same day. Orders received after 3 p.m. central time will ship the following business day.


bad mom: now with less crab!
Yesterday went pretty well - I got done the things I wanted to finish and did not harm/maim/kill or otherwise alienate anyone I love or slightly care for. I'm sure it was all due to my feverish prayers (one that included a swear word and gritted teeth; sorry again, God) and the collective cyberhug of you treasured readers. Thank you thank you thank you. And rock on.
Please to go read [that's an accented shout-out to my friend Katydidnot & her boyfriend Tech Support] my Friday Fill-Ins at the other blog today. Thanking you again.
you are pulling off my leg, yes?
Sounds like a steller time.
OK, so I saw your tweet. Now what shoes did you order?
It's nice to know that nobody was really hurt during the course of your icky day.